(Updated) Stagnant smoke from Eastern U.S. expected to reach Omineca region through Monday

“We’ll have to wait and see exactly when the smoke will arrive, but I suspect overnight will have an uptick but as Monday, as the day goes through, we may enter into high risk on the air quality health index,” says Environment Canada’s Armel Castellan.

Eastern winds have fueled the fires throughout the Western United States, resulting in what Castellan has described as a ‘mushrooming’ of smoke.

“How bad can it get in terms of Prince George is a pretty good question. There probably is a scenario where the south flow of wind is strong enough but is still stagnant where the concentration still stays relatively strong,” explained Castellan. “With that said, the potential is much less so the potential of very concentrated smoke becomes less as you get further and further away.”

Almost all of British Columbia is under an air quality statement because of the wildfire smoke wafting up from the United States.

Some regions like southern Vancouver Island have been dealing with smoke for days but the bulletin says the smoke is likely to move east and north as the weekend progresses.

In the U-S, some people have resorted to wearing N-95 masks in their own homes in an attempt to avoid breathing in the smoke.

Given how large these fires are, Castellan says it’s possible we may also be impacted later into the week following this initial pulse of smoke.

by Ethan Ready/Wendy Perch

(Updated) Stagnant smoke from Eastern U.S. expected to reach Omineca region through Monday

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